Harvest Moons of Drama
by Kamije Celeek
Summary: A more grown-up take on the kid-friendly series. Twins Katie and Jason have set out to achieve their dreams of owning a successful farm. More than one issue stand in their way as they face new challenges, old rivalries, and the fact neither has farmed in their life. It's sure to be an interesting few years... Rated T for language, adult references, and adult situations.
1. Beginnings

**You may not know this, but I'm a bit of a gamer.**

 _ **Legend of Zelda, Mario, Epic Mickey, the Sims, Diner Dash, Papa's Hotdoggeria...**_ **and my personal favorite at the moment,** _ **Harvest Moon.**_ **Specifically,** _ **Harvest Moon DS**_ **, or** _ **A Tale of Two Towns**_ **, as I like to call it.**

 **At any rate, the game gave me a great idea for a story. I've assigned more complex personalities to all the characters, added a bit of swearing for older characters, and made the world of** _ **A Tale of Two Towns**_ **more dangerous.**

 **This is why this story isn't rated K, K+, or K-. It took over a year to turn the sweet, innocent E for Everyone game into a rated T romantic and family drama. I honestly hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

"Katie, are you sure about this?"

Mary Anne looked at her two children nervously.

"Yes, Mama," her daughter answered, tossing one last bag in the cart.

"We'll be fine!" Jason assured their mother. "I'll keep an eye on her while I'm raising crops."

"I'm just worried about you two, living on that mountain, so far away…"

"I'll miss you too, Mama, but it's time for us to go out on our own," Katie said as she hugged Mary Anne goodbye.

"Bye, Mother," Jason added as he hugged their mother, too. "We'll send you a letter as soon as we get settled!"

He and his little sister climbed into the cart and Jason snapped the reins. They took off for the distant mountain, ready for whatever was to come.

* * *

The mountain was just the tiniest bit slippery in the rain, making the path treacherous to travel on. Katie had her slicker on over her head, protecting her from the heavy rains that pelted the cart. Jason focused on trying to see through the rain.

Suddenly, a fox ran across their path, spooking the horse and causing it to buck the cart loose. Its riders were knocked aside as the cart crashed.

Reina walked up the mountain as soon as the storm stopped to check the damage to all the different plants. Hopefully, they weren't too damaged to be studied.

She spotted some debris from a cart on the walkway. Her heartrate increased as she followed the trail of wooden shards and splinters to a crashed cart lodged in a bank of trees.

She needed help.

* * *

"Neither is critically injured, but our Jane Doe has some slight trauma to the cranial region while our John Doe has severe bruising to the abdominal region."

"Yes, Doctor Ayame." Hiro scribbled down the diagnosis while his teacher changed the IV drips for both patients.

"When will they wake up?" Ying asked quietly.

"Hopefully soon," the doctor replied. "The male should wake up first, since he had slightly less severe injuries."

As if to prove her right, the boy let out a pained groan.

"W-what happened…?" he mumbled.

"You crashed," Ayame explained simplistically. He opened his eyes and looked panicked.

"Where's Katie?!"

"Shhhh… she's right nearby. You need to rest."

"What's your name?" Hiro asked.

"Jason. Her name is Kaitlynn, but call her Katie."

Hiro wrote down their names on their patient charts.

* * *

It turned out that even the residents of Bluebell had come to the hospital, once Dirk had delivered the news. They all seemed equally worried about the two strangers.

It didn't take long for the twins to heal, and once they did, Mayors Ina and Rutger asked them to meet at the top of the mountain to decide their living situations.

"You both wished to be farmers here, correct?" Ina inquired.

"Yes, ma'am," Katie replied.

"What kind?"

"Huh?" Jason asked.

"Here in the valleys, we have two towns: Konohana and Bluebell. Konohana mainly focuses on crops while Bluebell raises animals. Both towns currently have an empty farm."

The twins glanced at each other nervously.

"Live in Bluebell!" urged Rutger.

"No! Konohana!" snapped Ina. They glared at each other.

"Can you give us a minute?" Jason chuckled.

"We'll have to split up!" Katie whispered to her brother.

"I know. It seems like visiting each other won't be easy, too."

"I can take care of myself, and so can you. You live in Konohana. They'll have more space for your crops there."

"And Bluebell will have larger barns." They nodded in agreement.

"I'd like to take your offer of the Bluebell farm," Katie informed Rutger.

"Wonderful!" he replied. "Follow me down to the village and we'll get you settled…"

"I'll accept your offer," Jason sighed to Ina.

"Great! Come on and I'll show you the farm!"

Their new lives had begun.

* * *

 _Dear Mama,_

 _How are you and Papa doing in the city? I'm doing fine on Circle Farm (that's what I named it). I have two farm animals already: a cow named Bessie and a chicken named Coco._

 _Things didn't exactly go as planned when Jason and I got here. The cart crashed when Juniper got spooked by a fox and we both got hurt. We're better now, though._

 _On top of that, there are towns on either side of the mountain: Bluebell and Konohana. The towns don't like each other much. Bluebell, the town I live in, focuses on raising animals. Jason lives near Konohana, where they mostly grow crops. I guess it's for the best, if we're_ really _going to make it on our own._

 _As for the people in my town, they're all pretty nice. I've made a few friends._

 _Where to start?_

 _Well, I guess I should start with the Jones family, who run the feed and livestock shop. Jessica's the mom, and she's always happy to see me; she even taught me how to milk and how to shear sheep! Ash is a little older than me, and he's really sweet and a bit goofy; he gives me lots of tips on raising animals. Cheryl's the baby of the family, even though she's ten. She's pretty cute and friendly, although I worry about how attached she is to her brother._

 _The mayor of Bluebell is Rutger. He's the one who gave me the farm and keeps me informed of any events in town. His wife's name is Rose. She gave me a dinner when I moved in._

 _There's three other families in Bluebell._

 _First off, there's the Smith family, a father and daughter team who run the horse, cart, and pet store. Grady taught me how to fish by hand on my second day in town. Georgia taught me how to catch critters and things like that. She's cheerful and is always ready to cheer me up with a joke._

 _Next is the Jacksons, who run the café and flower stand. Howard is a big, tough-looking guy, but he'd never hurt a fly and has some of the best cooking I've ever tasted. Laney's his daughter. She's my best friend and is always up for a chat. Cam's technically not Howard's son, but he_ does _live in the café, too. He's quiet and shy, but really sweet and serious._

 _The only other family in town is the Diego brothers: Enrique and Diego. They're a bit… odd. They also have a third brother, Raul, but he lives in Konohana. All three run general stores in both towns and ask me if I have any money-making schemes._

 _There's one person in Bluebell I haven't talked about, and that's the carpenter, Eileen. She's a bit clumsy and distracted, but helpful and smart. We talk whenever we happen to be exploring the mountain at the same time._

 _I'm really happy here, Mama, and I'm learning a lot. It's so much fun, but I miss you and Papa! Maybe I can pay for you to come visit when I save up a bit of money!_

 _Write back soon!_

 _Love and XOs,_

 _Katie._

* * *

Mary Anne read the letter aloud to Peter as soon as it arrived in the mail.

"It sounds like she's all settled in," she remarked.

"It certainly does," Peter agreed.

"We _should_ go visit sometime. Maybe next spring?"

"I think that sounds like a great idea."

It was official: Jason and Katie Hall were farm folk.

* * *

 **And done!**

 **Whoo! That took longer than I expected. I know there wasn't much drama or romance or really** _ **anything**_ **I said there'd be, but it** _ **was**_ **just the first chapter. It's a lot longer than most first chapters I tend to write, and that comes from me adding the letter. Now, every chapter** _ **will**_ **conclude with Mary Anne and Peter reading a letter from one of their children.**

 **Now, for the extras! This time, it's… my thoughts on each of the available bachelors in Bluebell!**

 **Ash:**

 **Ash is like that guy you'd** _ **want**_ **as your brother. He's sweet, loyal, and a bit of a doofus. It doesn't hurt that he's one of the cuter available guys ;). Ash is personally my choice of the bachelors in the game, as he seems like he'd make a great husband and companion.**

 **Cam:**

 **Cam is a bit quiet and shy, making him an enigma to me. He's a florist, meaning he has access to plenty of flowers. He's also pretty serious and keeps you on your toes with wondering what he'll do next.**

 **Mikhail:**

 **To be honest, I don't care for Mikhail that much. He seems just a bit… sleazy. Since he travels during the summer, there's no guarantee he doesn't have another girlfriend… or a dozen. I might be a bit unfair to him, but I'd rather have my guy around all year.**

 **That's all, folks!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	2. Love is Strange

**Here we go with chapter 2! Romance will begin to blossom, Oracle, Alisa, Nori, Dirk, Kana, and Mikhail will be introduced, and arguments will occur.**

 **Oh, and in case you're wondering why Jason didn't tell Ayame that he and Katie were siblings is because while he and his sister were unconscious, the Harvest Goddess, hoping the twins would help bring the two towns together, asked them to keep their connection a secret, at least until the towns were friends again and the tunnel was opened.**

 **Warning: language and adult references.**

* * *

The bell above the door jingled as Katie entered the livestock shop.

"Morning, Jessica!" she greeted the owner cheerfully.

"Good morning, Katie dear!" Jessica replied. "What do you need?"

"I'd like to buy a sheep, and some more feed, too."

"No problem. I'll bring the sheep by your house and send Ash over with the feed this evening."

"Where _is_ Ash, by the way?"

"He's out back, watching the animals. I'm sure he'd love to talk to you."

Katie headed to the back pasture and found Ash watching his family's livestock. Or, acting like he was. More specifically, he was playing with a baby chick.

"Howdy!"

Katie's voice startled him and made him fall over. She cringed.

"Hey, Katie!" he greeted her, trying to regain his composure.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh! Uh… keeping an eye on our livestock…?"

"Yeah, okay. I just came over to say hi." She turned to leave, but Ash leapt to his feet and called, "Wait!"

"What is it?"

"I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go for a walk."

 _Pleasedon'tsaynopleasedon'tsaynopleasedon'tsay—_

"That sounds great! Where do you want to go?"

"How about Howard's café?"

"Okay. Let's go, then!"

* * *

Jason, on the other hand, was working hard on his own farm, trying to get seeds planted. Once he was done, he decided to pay a visit to his sister, to see how she was getting along.

Her farm was a pretty sight, one you might see in a painting. There was a patch of sunflowers by the door and even more lining the path. A beehive buzzed in a clearing behind the chicken coop. Cows and sheep grazed in the little pasture by the barn. Katie herself was eating a sandwich by the house.

"Hey, Katie!" he called. She looked up and smiled.

"Hey, big brother!" she replied. "What's up?"

"Growing crops is tough. It takes a lot out of me."

"Tell me about it. All I did was plant sunflowers and I'm exhausted."

A little dog trotted up and laid its head on her lap.

"Of course, I have more than just cows, sheep, and chickens to look after. I have my pets and my bees, too."

"All I've got is a horse and a couple chickens."

"Get a dog or a cat. They're a big help."

"That sounds awesome. I just came to see how you were getting along."

"I'm great! I saw you at the Cooking Festival a few times when I was competing."

"Oh, really? I didn't see you!"

"You dummy. You always miss what you're not looking for."

* * *

As the season shifted from Summer to Fall, there was also a shift in the attitudes of the two towns towards each other. It was as if the twins' arrival had sparked a reevaluation of their treatment. Rutger and Ina still fought like cats and dogs, but their citizens seemed to have a somewhat ambivalent approach to each other. Eileen even began working on clearing out the tunnel.

The twins visited each other on occasion, but each had their own life to deal with. Jason's crops were growing beautifully, and Katie's animals were winning prize after prize. Not to mention she was growing close to a certain farm boy…

* * *

It was their sixth date. Ash and Katie were sitting on a bench, chatting about their lives. Cheryl ran up with a scowl on her face.

"AAAAASH!" she whined. "You promised you'd play with me!"

Ash's face turned a bit red as he turned from his date to his sister.

"I'm sorry, Cheryl," he sighed. "I'm… playing with Katie right now."

"Nuh-uh! You're just sitting there, talking! You prooomiiiised!

"Cher—"

"It's okay, Ash." Katie gave him a smile. "You should go and play with your little sister. A promise is a promise. We can talk more later."

"Thank you!" he whispered before Cheryl yanked on his arm and pulled him away.

"Cheryl, that was rude!" he told his sister as he played with her.

"So? Katie said, 'A promise is a promise.' You promised to play with me today!"

Ash thanked the Harvest Goddess that Katie was so understanding.

* * *

With Fall, of course, came the annual Music Festival, and with the Music Festival came a world-famous violinist: Mikhail. He stayed a lot longer than he said he would, and took a particular interest in a certain farm girl.

In Konohana, there were several villagers that Katie didn't know but Jason did. Dirk, a mail deliveryman, carried letters from people in both towns to faraway places. Nori helped her grandfather at the seed store. Kana ran a horse and pet store. Ying and Rahi were two youngsters who kept the other residents on their toes at times. Yun ran the teahouse. Mako was a farmer who grew a crazy amount of fruit trees.

Yep, there were a lot of crazy types on _both_ sides of the mountain.

In fact, there were two ladies who didn't interact much with the town: Alisa, a priestess, and Oracle, an, well, oracle.

Enough about the weirdos who lived in the two towns. Y'all want the romance and drama, don'tcha?

Despite Mikhail's interest in her, Katie felt no attraction towards him. She had eyes only for Ash, which infuriated Cheryl to no end. She continually stalked her brother's dates with the girl, hoping to make her look bad.

It was an odd time to be on the mountain…

* * *

 _Dear Mama,_

 _I'm doing well here in Bluebell. My farm has expanded and now I'm raising bees! I'm making a lot of money and I'm sending some to you._

 _There's a celebrity living in Bluebell now: the violinist, Mikhail. Remember when you took me to see his show last year? He's taken an interest in me. I don't like him as a person, but he's talented and handsome._

 _I've been spending a lot of time with Ash lately. I think his sister's becoming jealous! He talks to me about a lot of different things. In fact, he kind of reminds me of Papa!_

 _Jason stops by at least once a week to check on me. He's doing well, too! Once, he stopped by when Laney was visiting and he wasn't able to speak for a minute when he saw her! I think he's fallen in love with her, similar to how I've fallen for Ash._

 _I miss you and Papa so much! I was so happy when I got your letter saying you'll visit in Spring! Eileen has already offered to expand my house, so I'm going to accept so there's space for you! If it's not done, I can arrange for the two of you to stay in Town Hall._

 _See you in Spring!_

 _Love,_

 _Katie._

* * *

 **And that concludes chapter 2!**

 **This chapter's extras are: my thoughts on the bachelorettes!**

 **Reina:**

 **She reminds me of my own best friend: quiet, passionate about her life path, and artistic. She's the person I'd rely on to stay calm in an emergency.**

 **Georgia:**

 **Georgia reminds me of my marching band friend, Heather. She's cheerful, funny, and loves FOOD. I'd probably be best friends with her if I didn't already have Natasha.**

 **Oracle:**

 **My little sister who loves alpacas. No, seriously; she's JUST LIKE MY SISTER. She's cute, quirky, cheerful, and kind, but don't get on her bad side.**

 **Alisa:**

 **No comment.**

 **Laney:**

 **Sweeter than the cakes she bakes.**

 **Nori:**

 **More like a mother figure than anything else.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


End file.
